Atos, a major French technology company, has formed a scientific committee to guide its strategy for developing open and sovereign artificial intelligence (AI) in France. The committee includes a mix of researchers, industry professionals, and free software advocates. This move follows Atos’s recent sale of its supercomputer division, now known as Bull, to the French government. The committee was officially announced on September 22 and includes four external experts from research, industry, and free software. Their goals include steering the company toward more open AI, exploring areas such as health, mathematics, and ethics, and promoting an open-source approach in AI development. The committee is composed of notable figures such as Jean-Baptiste Kempf, president of VideoLan (the organization behind the popular VLC media player), Stéphane Canu, a professor and AI mission holder at the Ministry of Higher Education, Philippe Freyssinet, scientific director of the Geological and Mining Research Bureau (BRGM), and Alexandre Bouard, who previously worked at BMW and led Renault’s "connected vehicle" program. From within Atos, Franck Chartier, general director of Atos France, is joined by Sylvain Barthélemy and Laurent Clergue, who handle technology and innovation, respectively. The committee aims to guide Atos’s long-term vision in France, support its Inno'Labs innovation projects, and integrate open-source principles into AI development. Their goals include building an open AI foundation based on collaborative contributions, fostering a culture of sharing inspired by major open-source projects, and creating a marketplace for AI agents. However, this "openness" primarily refers to internal practices rather than publishing AI tools under free licenses. For Atos, openness is essential for achieving technological sovereignty and gaining the trust of public and private stakeholders. The group plans to highlight its expertise in bids related to national sovereignty and public cloud services. The committee also aims to help build a European AI ecosystem grounded in trust, efficiency, and scientific excellence. Franck Chartier emphasized the importance of sovereign, open, and humanistic AI, stating that openness and sharing are key drivers of power. Jean-Baptiste Kempf sees investing in technology as crucial for Europe’s and France’s future, with Atos playing a central role. The committee is also focusing on the role of "empathetic" AI in supporting aging populations, aiming to improve the quality of life for patients and caregivers. In mathematics, the group will study the mechanics of AI models, including uncertainty, bias, and robustness, to better understand and stabilize them. They also plan to promote mathematical education among young people through partnerships with educational organizations. Ethics is another priority, with the committee aiming to strengthen Atos’s practices in explainable AI, data protection, and the fight against bias. They will also explore AI applications in inclusion, professional assistance, and environmental sustainability. Atos already has a strong foundation for its AI strategy. The company has MogwAI, a sovereign platform capable of generating content and managing AI agents. It has also launched the Atos Sovereign Agentic Studios, which help companies and governments transition from testing to full-scale deployment of AI solutions, especially in sensitive sectors. These studios are located in Birmingham, Texas, and France, with the Paris region focusing on large-scale deployment and cloud infrastructure. Germany is also part of the network. Alexandre Bouard highlighted cleveR insights, a project developed with Renault that analyzes territorial data to provide local governments with a comprehensive view of their environment. However, the specific outcomes of the committee’s work remain unclear, as no timeline or budget has been disclosed.